


All I Want for Christmas

by TheAbsenceOfEternity



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, modern day AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 01:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5520077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAbsenceOfEternity/pseuds/TheAbsenceOfEternity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi works at the mall as Santa and encounters a handsome young man who he gradually shows interest in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I Want for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece written for the the 2015 Ereri Secret Santa and in particular, crafty-scrafty on tumblr! I hope you enjoy, and that it finds you in good spirits! Merry Christmas! :D

Levi honestly didn't think his job could get any worse.

Bright candy canes dangled overhead, amid bright boughs of plastic greenery and red and gold tinsel that came apart easily in his hands. The columns surrounding him were decorated in bright snowflake patterns, and crappy crepe paper. Mariah Carey's soulful voice reverberated through the packed building for the 52nd time and Levi was ready to rip his ears off.  
It was bad enough that he had to explain to everyone that yes, he was Santa at the local mall, and no, they weren't allowed to visit him during working hours.

(“Are you sure there wasn't a mixup? I could've sworn you were more...elf height, Levi.”)

“What's your name sweetheart?” A small, gentle looking girl was asking of an even smaller child. She was decked out in green, and her plastic ears were lopsided.

“Marco.” The boy murmured, scuffing his feet against the ground, and looking anxiously over his shoulder in search of his parents, as if torn. 

“Well, come this way Marco, and we can meet Santa.” Krista said brightly, taking his hand, and kicking the dozing photographer on the shin as she passed. 

And then the child was ushered up to Levi's throne of Christmas spirit or some shit. He fondly knew it as the torture device. 

The bright stringed lights blinked harshly at Levi beneath his arms, entwined around the over-glorified wooden bench like a snake. The boy was reaching hesitantly with his grubby, dirty hands and Levi bit back a gag as he lifted the child into his lap.

He smelled strongly of fish sticks and some sort of sickening pastry, and his sticky hands caught in his false beard for but a second, leading to one anxious moment of breath holding. 

“Well umm. M...Mar...” He glanced at Krista who was mouthing the name, and Connie who was dazedly, trying to focus his lense on the scene “Marco. What would you like for Christmas?”

“A horse.” Little Marco replied decidedly, and Levi felt a pang of sympathy for his poor parents. Christ.

“Hohoho. Merry Christmas.” 

The camera flashed. Marco was ushered away, and another child filled his place.

And then another. And another.

Child after child settled themselves into his lap, grabbing at him tightly and whispering their christmas wishes.

If Levi were a more sympathetic person, and less of a germaphobe with an aversion to children, he would've found this heartwarming. 

Instead all he wanted was to go home, strip and waste another blissfully empty day watching netflix.

But the bills had to be paid somehow. 

“Do you mind if I come in with her?” A man was saying, and Levi glanced their way, trying to look jolly or what not, and knew he was failing horribly, when the incoming child shrunk behind their adult. 

Maybe drinking would loosen up. 

He was starting to resonate strongly with the scummy Santa from Miracle on 34th St.

“Not a problem at all sir!” Krista chirped, taking his money with a smile, “Right this way, to the north pole!”

A small, bundled up girl in multiple layers, was staring up at him with narrowed eyes, and her chaperone hovered behind her supportively.

“Come on Mikasa, why don't you go tell Santa what you want for Christmas.”

“Okay.” She consented after another moment of consideration, bounding up the platform in her bright red rain boots, and standing on tiptoe before his chair. Levi hoisted her up into his lap.

“I want to stay with Eren for Christmas.” She said without prompting, folding her arms stubbornly. 

“Oh? Have you been naughty or nice?”

“Nice.” She said, glaring at the man who snorted at that response. 

“Smile for the camera, Mikasa.” Connie said, getting ready to snap a picture.

“Merry-”

“Wait!” Mikasa exclaimed, turning to her chaperone with bright eyes, “Eren needs to talk with Santa too.”

“Mikasa... I think I'm a bit too old for-”

Levi glanced down at the man. He was tall, and younger than Levi by at least seven years. His eyes were a bright, mediterannean green, and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the girl's insistent calls. 

Levi would climb him like a Christmas tree if he weren't dressed like an 80 year old man and surrounded by children.

Hell he still might.

“Nonsense, no one's too old for Santa!” Krista intervened, trying to soothe the now pouting child, and turning her imploring eyes upon Levi himself. 

Thankfully for Krista's sake, Levi would need no bribery this time around.

“But of course! Come, tell me what you want for Christmas, Eren.” He ground out, gesturing to the rickety seat that was his throne.

Looking only vaguely perturbed, and marginally flustered, Eren strode quickly up the platform with his long legs, and perched himself on the edge of the chair, besides him.

“Closer together please!” Connie called, and Mikasa shifted to one side as Eren was pushed onto Levi's lap by Krista's helpful hand.

He owed her a coffee. 

Eren was heavy, but not unbearably so. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot, and tentatively put his arm around Levi's neck, making the small hairs there stand on end. 

He was even more beautiful up close. All long eyelashes, and pert nose. Round cheeks and dark circles and laughter lines. His dark skin and hair were simply entrancing, and he smelled vaguely of cinnamon.

“Smile!” Connie was saying, struggling to get the image lined up.

“Have you been naughty or nice?” Levi asked causally, slinging an arm around the two of them, hand curling guiltily in Eren's shirt. 

Eren flushed at that, fingers brushing against the base of Levi's throat.

Krista was making a furious movement at him, and he tore his eyes from Eren's blazing cheeks, just in time to smugly remember his line.

“Merry Christmas!”

Mariah Carey began her lament again. 

And then they were gone. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. 

“Oh hey.” Levi found himself saying exactly two weeks later. He was at the grocery store throwing together last minute gifts, when he had bumped into someone behind him, “You're that guy.”

“Umm.” Eren said, looking confused, eyebrows scrunching together, “Excuse me?”

Levi had a knack for remembering faces, so he wasn't at all fazed that Eren didn't recognize him. This happened more often than he'd like to admit, and the lack of beard and red suited visage wasn't exactly helping his case.

“Santa? At the mall? You were there with your grumpy kid with the red scarf.”

Eren glanced away quickly, the tips of his ears flushing red, and he tugged on one self conscientiously, “O-oh you...saw that?”

“You sat in my lap.”

Eren was glowing now, upper teeth worrying away at his bottom lip, and he was refusing to make eye contact.

“I...Sorry?”

“Santa. I'm Santa. That's my job.”

“You're Santa???”

Levi nodded sagely, wondering what was wrong with this kid's head.

“But your...beard?”

“Fake.”

“You don't look very old...” Eren said, snapping out of his embarrassed haze long enough to look doubtful, “You're...what? Late twenties?”

“Mid thirties.” Levi said with a shrug, leaning against the shelf behind him, “And a job is a job, okay?”

Eren looked like he wanted to argue, probably mention something about the capitalist and consumerist qualities he was invoking by monetizing Christmas, and how he couldn't be anything but a pedophile for taking the job offer – all spiels he'd heard many many times before.

Finally he sighed, looking sheepish.

“I guess I can understand that. I worked as a pool boy during the summer before my first year of college. Booty shorts and all.”

“Dear lord.”

“Still better than that year I worked at a sex shop. Bad bad bad.”

“I'm going to stop you there.” Levi said hastily, glancing around suddenly aware that they were in public. Not that he was usually very concerned about what others thought of him, but there were certain things a man play acting as Santa could and couldn't do, you know? 

December was usually a year of cutting back. Of cooling his guns and shutting his mouth and stretching his old taut facial muscles into a smile beneath his beard. He hated December.

“By the way, where's your kid?”

“Mikasa? She's at our mom's house. Adopted sister actually.” Eren laughed at that, “Too young to have kids. Not to mention single and a virgin to boot.”

Levi stared at him open mouthed.

“I thought I had no filter.”

Not but twenty minutes later they're walking out the front doors together, Eren trying not to laugh at Levi's horrible shit jokes and Levi wonders if this is love.

And then Eren says goodbye and Levi goes home to change into his Santa suit.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. 

It's stuffy. Levi has layer upon layer of clothing on, and hat pulled over his ears. His mittens are unbearably scratchy and his three woolen socks make his shoes very tight.

He hopes no one he knows sees him.

“Hey!”

Levi turns around, nearly dropping his car keys as he fumbles to open the door. Briefly he panics, reaching with one hand for the tiny knife in his pocket. Is he getting robbed? Are his gang days coming fro him? Did he remember to pay the Panda Express lady?

But it's just Eren, jogging across the street and looking winded, his cheeks (still chubby with baby fat) and nose red from the cold. 

“Eren.” He greets his companion cordially, as if he hadn't been considering the twenty different ways he could shank him and tear him piece by piece. 

“Sorry! I just saw you from the Target parking lot and thought I'd say hi!”

They aren't exactly friends, Levi realizes, as he offers to drive Eren back across the street to get him out of the cold, but they're something else. Something that means running across the street in below freezing weather just to say hello is acceptable. Hell he knows nothing about the kid.

“How old are you?” He asks, trying and failing to be casual as the anxiety creeps over him.

God what if he's been hanging out with a teenager? He taps his fingers nervously on the steering wheel.

“Twenty-one. College junior. I'm majoring in biology. On the Pre-med track.” Eren responds cheerfully, leaning into the warmth coming from the heaters, “Ahhh this is nice.”

“You're going to be a doctor?” Levi blanches. Any horror that might have followed the boy's age dissipates, “You're going to kill someone.”

Eren laughs humorlessly, staring out the window as they pull up into the parking lot. Levi doesn't know where Eren's parked so he sits there, car humming around them as they stall.

“Yeahh...so I've been told. But I won't be discouraged okay? I'm going to be a doctor. And I'll be a damn good one.”

Determination shines in his green eyes, and his mouth is set decidedly, and Levi sighs, patting the boy on the head gently. He can't deny the thought that this boy can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. 

“I'm sure you will be, Eren.”

Eren unbuckles with a chuckle, swinging the door open when he pauses, turning to Levi as if he's going to say something then stops abruptly, brow furrowing.

“I...don't think I ever got your name, Mr Claus.”

“Lay off with the Santa jokes.” Levi grumbles, looking away – he gets enough flak from his roomate for his job as it is- “It's Levi. Levi Ackerman.”

Eren positively beams.

“You're cute in all those layers, Levi.” He says, gaze softening. 

And then the door slams behind him and he's trudging across the wet parking lot, leaving Levi speechless in his wake. 

 

“You're in Looove.” Hanji slurs drunkenly, hanging on his shoulder as he buries his face in the couch pillows.

“Shut up Hanji.” 

They cackle wickedly, and Levi thinks of soft brown curls and green doe eyes. The soft curve of his nose, and roundness of his cheeks. The stars in his gaze when he's talking about something he's passionate about. His smile and rows of straight beautiful teeth. The little mole he notices on his neck and the scar running along his palm-

He's smitten. The boy is beautiful and Levi would be lying if he weren't tremendously attracted to him physically. He'd had his fair share of dreams about him as it was already. But the fact remained that that voice, that passion and nonchalance was what was really calling to him.

“You're so in love.” they croon again, petting his hair, “Poor Levi. Poor thing.”

Levi sighs, and drifts off to sleep.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. 

 

“Can I have your number?” Eren had asked two days ago, jogging up beside him just outside of Starbucks. 

Levi nearly spilled his drink in the process, hands shaking more than he'd like to think.

And now, here he is, lying in bed, texting one Eren Jaeger, and feeling like a teenage girl. 

“Get your ass up!” Hanji calls, coming into the room, and rolling her eyes, when she finds him guiltily pouring over his texts from the night before.

“I'm not feeling too great.” He lies, thinking of the pile of dishes undoubtedly waiting for him.

“Poor lovesick Levi.” they laugh, pulling his blankets off of him, “Your sweet prince can wait for you.”

And wait he did.

Levi found himself texting Eren in all his spare moments. He found out Eren's favorite movie (The Iron Giant), his favorite food (He had an unhealthy obsession with Mac and Cheese). He heard stories about his family, and friends and his dog. And Levi found himself falling and falling and falling...

“Goodnight, Eren.”

“Night, Levi ;)”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. 

 

“Excuse me?” Krista asks one evening as she adjusts her hat and he casually slides into his throne of Christmas spirit or whatever. He hopes that the children don't notice that their Santa has been replaced by a much shorter, grumpier one while on his 'break', but no one says anything.

“Krista?” 

“You seem...much happier lately.” She mentions watching as their new hire, Jean, ushers a child away, “Did something happen? Are you...seeing someone?” 

“What would make you think that?” He hisses out of the corner of his mouth, waving at the now crying child. He hasn't been that obvious has he? Not that he. Is seeing Eren. But. Well...

“You've been texting. A lot.” She mimes using her phone, “And you smile. A lot.”

“Yeah okay well if we're digging up embarrassing things, that girl who works at Subway? You're not being subtle.”

She blushes bright red, “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Keep telling yourself that kid.”

“Hypocrite.”

“Welcome to- Umm. Sir?”

“Please. Just. I paid the fee can I just...”

“Go ahead. What's your name honey?”

Jean's voice drips with sarcasm and Levi thinks that maybe they should have hired that nice Sasha girl anyways. Even if she did eat all the candy canes in the waiting room. 

“Eren.” Comes a familiar, and horribly embarrassed voice.

Levi looks up and meets Eren Jaeger's green eyes.

They stare at each other, suspended in the moment. Eren has a black dress jacket flung over his arm. He's blushing fiercely, and his tanned skin pops against his white button up shirt and loose yellow tie. His hair is swept back and he looks humiliated.

Levi loves it.

“Santa!” Krista stage whispers, trying to look calm.

Levi blinks and remembers where he is. Work. Right.

“Merry Christmas uh. Eren.” He gestures for Eren to approach and finds himself lost and Eren drops himself into his lap, a warm presence against his thighs, an arm curling gently around his shoulder, tugging at the small hairs at his nape.

“Aren't you going to ask whether I've been Naughty or Nice.” He murmurs, lowering his eyelids, 

He situates himself on Levi's lap and Levi closes his eyes, gritting his teeth as a shiver of anticipation hits him.

Now is not the time! Forgetting that, he never expected to have such a time with Eren. There must be some mistake. It must be some prank-

“How do you feel about coffee?” Eren whispers in his ear, as he moves to get up, “I'll pick you up after work.”

“Coffee.” Levi responds faintly, feeling weightless, “Yeah...”

“Merry Christmas.” Eren says, descending the steps and snagging the freshly printed pictures off a scandalized looking Connie. 

Levi licks his lips.

Merry fucking Christmas indeed.


End file.
